Over two lakh employees working in various wings of the Co-operative Department are demanding pension as in the case of other government staff.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Pallipatti C. Sakthivel, State president of the Tamil Nadu all Co-operative Employees Association, lamented that 90 per cent of the staff members of the ration shops had been suffering from various diseases including tuberculosis, asthma, allergy, etc. because they had been handling gunny bags filled with various commodities and many of them even suffered heart attack because of the severe stress due to frequent inspections. They should be extended group medical insurance like other government staff.
Specific reference
With specific reference to salesmen and packers of the ration shops, numbering over 30,000, he pointed out that the government issued an order in April this year revising their wages.
“It is yet to be implemented”, he regretted.
He also alleged that the staff of the ration shops had been subjected to untold hardship thanks to frequent inspections by various authorities numbering more than 30.
Apart from the co-operative authorities, the outlets were also inspected by the Revenue and Civil Supplies officers. In addition, labour officials “are constantly at our throats”.
Hence, he pleaded that these shops should be brought under only one administration.
